Update [2006-9-18 16:25:23 by Damnit Janet]:
Thanks to BoomanTribune and MyLeftWing, this diary generated (to date) $225 to be sent to a dear Iraqi Delegate Refugee. We had hoped to raised $1,500 but instead – surpassed $2,000. The collecting will continue so that we can aid more Iraqi Delegate Refugees through Collateral Repair Project and CodePink Portland.
With all my heart – thank you.
CODEPINK brought a delegation of Iraqi women to the U.S. for March 8, International Women’s Day, as part of the Women Say No to War campaign. Some of these women toured parts of the US and participated in several anti-war protests marking the anniversary of the war during March 18-19, 2006.
These brave women need our help. They are all now refugees who had to flee their beloved country. They stayed in their homeland as long as they could. Now they can never return.
Many of these fine women are too proud to ask for help. But we know that they are hurting, scared and we know what they need. Please help us help them.
Our lives are forever changed and linked to these brave women.
Cristy of CodePink Portland with Eman our time with her (link)
- Nadje Al-Ali is a writer/researcher specializing in women in the Middle East. She is a founding member of Act Together: Women’s Action on Iraq and mother of a 3-year-old daughter.
- Faiza Al-Araji is a civil engineer, a blogger (afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com), a religious Shia with a Sunni husband, and a mother of three. After one son was recently held as a political prisoner by the Ministry of the Interior, the family fled to Jordan.
- Souad Al-Jazairy -Writer, journalist and TV producer, Souad is a very active member in the Iraqi Women’s League. At the last minute Souad is not able to be with us because of urgent work she has been called to do in regarding the Constitution and ensuring better rights for women. We are sorry but we hope that she can come to the U.S. in the near future when she has more time.
- Eman Ahmad Khamas is a human rights advocate who has documented abuses by the occupation forces. She is a member of Women’s Will, and is married with two daughters.
- Dr Entisar Mohammad Ariabi, a pharmacist at the Yarmook Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, has documented the deteriorating health system. She is.married with 5 children
- Vivian Salim Mati is a widow who lost her husband and three children when they were fired on by U.S. tank fire as they attempted to flee the bombing of their neighborhood in Baghdad in April 2003 .We are sorry that her visa application was denied by the U.S. government. As a result she will not be able to join us for March 8 activities.
- Kadhim Jawad (Anwar) is a widow whose husband and three children were killed by US soldiers at an unmarked checkpoint. We are sorry that her visa application was denied by the U.S. government. As a result she will not be able to join us for March 8 activities.
- Dr. Rashad Zidan, a pharmacist, works in Baghdad and Fallujah with Women and Knowledge Society to aid victims of war, especially orphans.
- Sureya Sayadi, a Kurdish woman born in Kirkuk in 1960, is an activist for human rights in the Middle East, particularly for the Kurdish people. Her family participated in the uprising against Saddam in 1974, then became refugees in Iran. Sueya later came to the United States as political refugee, but her family is dispersed in Iraq, Iran and Turkey.
To read their incredible stories and speeches (link)
These women are now refugees.
Many of these fine women are too proud to ask for help. But we know that they are hurting, scared and we know what some of them need.
“It’s the least we can do” said my dear Pink Sister, Cristy (pictured above) when she told us of one delegate’s plight. This is grassroots. This is us asking our friends, family, blog buddies.
CodePink Portland is seeking to raise $1,500 for one of the delegates who needs are immediate – payment for housing and educational placement for her children by September. We hope that the fund will grow so we can help as many as we can.
I have no paypal, my address is a street address. Please email me at web@codepinkportland.org and I will give you my address. I will give the checks to Cristy who can get the money to the Iraqi women via Collateral Repair Project.
If you can help, checks are to be made out to Collateral Repair Project It is not a 501c3 so donations are not deductable. Thank you so very much!
For more info on the Collateral Repair Project
Janet, do you have some general information on why the women have had to leave? Were they threatened, or is it just the general state of civil war there?
I can’t imagine what they’ve been through.
Some left earlier, but the bulk remained as they were determined to stay home and help Iraq. We are talking, bravery beyond anything I can imagine.
Sadly Baghdad became bloodier and bloodier and the rest had to flee. Beginning of August our government basically said that the only way to “save Baghdad was to destroy it”. To many, it was going to be Fallujah all over again.
I know that one in particular had to flee this month due to very detained death threats against her and her children. I know that this person has to get her children into school but they do not speak the foreign language of their new “home” and has to pay for housing upfront. So that’s why we are hoping to help her and then hopefully others who were part of the delegation earlier this year.
The call to action came at a meal with my other CodePink sisters of Portland. Some from National were still stranded in Beirut for the Peace Talks and news of the others who had fled was sparse but when it came it was deemed that they need our help.
Cristy cry has haunted me… “it’s the least we can do”.
She is the one who knows the folks from Collateral Repair Relief and the money will be in safe hands and it will get to the fleeing families. These women… they are our sisters now.
I can’t begin to tell you how glad I am that Eman, for one, was able to get out alive… but I know that her life is forever changed. But I am so sad she had to leave her husband and everything behind.
Why didn’t the husband leave with them?
(Do I have too many questions today?)
I’m not quite sure on that one. I believe from memory of her email was that he had to stay so that they could have some money (he’d send it to her). I’ll ask Cristy about this.
Most have had to flee without their husbands and sons.
What an awful situation to be in.
But they are alive.
And a huge shout out of thanks to you CabinGirl for helping me answer any possible questions some might have about this.